


Survivor's Guilt

by yunhaiiro



Series: DA Shared Universe [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, only sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 15:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4227819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yunhaiiro/pseuds/yunhaiiro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tamlen comes back. Wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Survivor's Guilt

Everything is calm at the camp. An unusual sight.

It couldn't last.

Everyone is more or less nodding off and about to retire to their tents when Kwerkus raises up a hand for attention. Suddenly, a low hiss starts to come from every direction. A second later, Shrieks start to pop up all around them. Everyone jumps to their feet and grabs the nearest weapon they can find.

They fend the darkspawn off soon enough, despite the surprise attack. Kwerkus jumps into the shadows, dagger at the ready, towards an enemy only he had seen.

They hear a pained gasp and the dagger clattering to the ground.

Malia runs in the same direction, and almost clashes with Kwerkus, who is walking backwards.

The campfire flares up and lets everyone see the attacker.

A ghoul.

"You... lethallin..." it rasps,with difficulty, looking at Kwerkus.

"... Tamlen?"

The sheer misery in his voice makes Malia cringe.

"DON'T COME NEAR ME," the ghoul suddenly shouts, turning around and running away. Kwerkus chases after him before Malia has time to grab his arm to stop him.

Everyone rushes to follow.

They reach them just as the ghoul mutters "Always... loved you... I'm so sorry..." and Kwerkus, hands shaking, slits his throat.

The lifeless ghoul crumbles to the floor and everything goes still.

Alistair reacts first.

"Who was that?"

Kwerkus crouches down by the body.

"His name was Tamlen."

The name still means nothing to Malia, but Alistair's face darkens at the realization.

"Tamlen...? Then… he was the one who was with you when you... I'm so sorry. This is what happens when the taint is left unchecked. It… it’s better for him, to have it end. It was a mercy."

Kwerkus stays silent, hands at the body's collar, looking for something.

He grasps a medallion and snaps the cord, taking it and holding it to his chest. It's bloodstained, as are his hands. He doesn't move.

Everyone else looks at a loss. No one knows what to do. Alistair is looking at Kwerkus with pity and Zevran has his jaw set and his fists clenched at his sides, but no one takes a single step.

Then Malia crouches down and puts a hand on Kwerkus' shoulder, pulling him into a one-armed hug.

The elf turns his head to bury it in the crook of her shoulder, and stays there, wracked by silent sobs.

 

* * *

 

 

A while later, when things have calmed down but no one's really thinking of sleeping, the questions come.

Alistair asks what the Dalish do with their dead.

"We cremate the body. Plant the ashes with a seed so a tree can grow in its place," Is the response, said in a tone completely devoid of emotion.

"We can do that."

"We need an oak branch and a cedar one."

Kwerkus doesn't explain and no one really wants to press the issue, so they just nod.

He's still clutching the medallion.

"Will you put that in the pyre, too?" Malia asks, in a soft voice. She hasn't left his side.

Kwerkus shakes his head. Looks down at it, slides a thumb across the surface to get the worst of the blood off. There's one of the creatures the Dalish raise, a halla, carved on it, horns tall and intertwining. His other hand goes to his neck, raises the strand around it and an identical one peers from his collar. He unties it and adds the other one so they stand side by side. He looks at it. The one he recovered still has blood on it and he slides his thumb over it again.

"This one was mine."

He ties it back around his neck and lets it disappear under his shirt.

No one says another word.


End file.
